The Story of Us
by Jack E. Peace
Summary: Segments of Brian and Mia's life together.
1. October, 2011

**Disclaimer: **Some characters aren't mine, some are. And yes, the title comes from the song by Taylor Swift (I want to hate her but I still find myself singing along to her songs! They're catchy!)

**A/N: **So thanks to everyone who's been reading my previous Brian/Mia stories! Here's something I've been trying to write my way through for the past couple of months, hopefully it turned out okay. There are going to be three parts to this, so hopefully you'll enjoy it and want to stay tuned for the next installment! If you feel so inclined, review and let me know what you're thinking!

**(I.) October, 2011 **

"Mercedes?"

"No."

"Porsche?"

"_No_."

"Ferrari?"

"God, Brian, it's like you want our daughter to become a stripper or something." Mia rolls her eyes in disgust, sliding out from under his arm. She has the baby name book open across her knees but clearly she's the only one making any use of it. If she had known that Brian was just going to rattle off the names of cars he likes to drive she never would have suggested they name this baby together. She would have just chosen the name herself and saved her future daughter a lot of teasing and low expectations.

Brian gives her a look and Mia can tell that the idea of having his child grow up to make money by stripping on a pole is not exactly in his plans for his daughter's future. "I was just trying to think of things that we both liked." He points out defensively.

Mia can't help but roll her eyes again. "We also seem to like grand theft auto and committing serious crimes. Do you want to name her Felony?" She arches an eyebrow. Brian makes a thoughtful noise and she hits him in the chest with the baby name book. "Just forget it." She mumbles, turning away from him and lying on her side, facing the wall of their bedroom in their perfect little house on the beach. She can see the nightstand out of the corner of her eye, with the framed pictures of her wedding day sitting beside the lamp and the paperback she's reading. As usual, seeing the pictures gives her a pleasant flutter in her chest and she feels her daughter kick, like the currently nameless baby can feel the wave of love that starts in her chest and tingles all the way down to her toes. Love for the man currently infuriating her.

Brian lays down beside her, hooking his arm around her hips and curling against her back. "C'mon baby," he whispers into her hair, "I was just teasing. Don't worry, I don't want our daughter to become a stripper." He tries to cuddle up against her, kissing her cheek and down the side of her neck, a tactic that usually gets him out of fights.

Tonight, however, Mia just shrugs him away, keeping her face turned away from his. "I'm tired, Brian." She says softly. "I just want to sleep."

Of course, he's not going to deny his pregnant wife her request for rest. He rolls over onto his back, thinking how foreign it feels to lay like this, so separate from her. He hasn't slept like this in ages (okay, if he's being honest, she has shrugged him off once or twice because those hormones can be killer, not that he'd ever say that to her) and as he stares up at the ceiling, Brian realizes that there might be something wrong aside from the fact that he wanted to name his daughter after a car. Which, to be fair, was a joke anyway. Mostly.

* * *

><p>Brian's belief that something is bothering Mia is further confirmed the following afternoon when he brings home stuff for the nursery and barely gets more than a thank-you. Usually, him bringing home stuff for their unborn baby is an aphrodisiac but that afternoon, the adorable stuffed pig and delicate lavender paint swatches go pretty much unacknowledged. Mia is sitting in the rocking chair in the living room, angled toward the window that affords them an unblemished view of the beach, a book in her lap but a faraway look in her eyes. Brian puts the stuffed pig in the empty crib and tosses the swatches in the trash because, to be honest, he's not painting his kid's room periwinkle or whatever it's called. He might be having a girl, but that doesn't mean he's got to deny her any chance of being a badass before she's even out of the womb. Granted, she's pretty much guaranteed to come out with a knack for trouble given who her parents are. His badass daughter is not going to have a periwinkle room.<p>

Brian figures that reminding Mia exactly how kick-ass their kid is going to be is the perfect way to bring her out of her funk. Maybe all pregnant women get like this, all moody and silent and pensive and maybe it's just the hormones again coming in and messing with his happy home but he's not going to use the 'h' word around Mia ever again. He learned his lesson the first several times.

He makes dinner for her that night and they sit out on the back porch and eat as the sun goes down and the tide crashes against the beach. The season is heading toward winter but you couldn't prove it by him because it's still the perfect temperature outside and really, he never saw his life heading in this direction but it's pretty much as perfect as perfect can get. The only thing that will make it better is having his daughter on his knee.

Brian reaches across the table to take Mia's hand and smiles at her and runs his thumb across the ridge of her knuckles. "You know, I was thinking earlier today how awesome our kid is going to be." He smiles at her and Mia just rolls her eyes good naturedly but he can finally see the hint of a smile turning up the corner of her lips. "I mean, between the two of us, she's going to be breaking the law and boosting cars by the time she's five years old."

Of course he means it to be a joke. Because, really, what parent wants their daughter running around being chased by the cops and drag racing. But Mia doesn't seem to think it's very funny. She pulls her hand away and shakes her head. "Yeah, that's the last thing I want to hear, that my daughter has a life of crime ahead of her."

Okay, it's definitely the hormones. "Mia-"

But Mia just gets to her feet. "I'm taking a walk." She says this in a way that lets Brian know a) his company is not welcome and b) he's going to be doing the dishes. Brian just watches her head down the beach, trying to figure out exactly what's going on inside that head of hers. And he clears the table and does the dishes because…yeah, pregnant Mia is even more intimidating than normal Mia.

While Brian washes and soaks dishes, he wishes that he had a sister or female cousin or somebody that he could call who could give him insight into the inner workings of the female mind. Unfortunately, there isn't any such person on his speed dial. Even talking to Dom over beers would be a welcome change from trying to figure this one out for himself.

When Mia walks in from the beach her hair is wind-blown and her cheeks are flushed from the early evening heat and Brian nearly forgets what he wanted to talk to her about in the first place. But when she doesn't even acknowledge his presence or the perfectly clean kitchen, he gets up from the sofa and moves to block her way to the bedroom. Mia narrows her eyes and suddenly it doesn't really matter that she's eight months pregnant because she looks like she could still kick his ass. It's those Toretto genes but Brian knows from experience that that look in her eyes is more bark than bite anyway.

"You're not going anywhere." Brian informs her frankly, crossing his arms over his chest and raising an eyebrow. "Not until you tell me what's bothering you."

"Nothing is bothering me." Mia lies effortlessly. "I'm just tired." She ducks around him just as easily and starts toward the bedroom.

Brian follows after her, something that earns him another dirty look but he ignores it because he's not going through another day of wondering why his wife is acting so unlike herself and why the change in mood has come on all of the sudden. "Mia, stop, you're being ridiculous." Another look from her lets him know his word choice might have been a little poor. "I don't understand why you don't just tell me what's bothering you."

He expects her to deny that there's anything wrong, to assure him that everything is fine and dandy and _he's _being ridiculous by pestering her with silly questions and thank you Brian dinner was delicious and thank you Brian the kitchen looks great and let's name our daughter Mary or something just as traditional and normal and I'm sorry I've been so crazy let's go back to normal but instead Mia just bows her head and Brian knows she's about to start crying and if there's one thing he can't handle it's his girl crying.

"What are we doing Brian?" Mia asks softly. She doesn't lift her head when she feels him settle next to her on the bed. "We're fugitives. We have fake names and fake birth certificates and that's the world we're bringing our daughter into. How are we supposed to explain that to her?" When she looks up at Brian, she can see the quiet understanding in his eyes and he can see the unshed tears in hers. "What are doing?" She asks again in a whisper.

Brian takes her hands in his and holds them tightly. These are thoughts he's had himself during those sleepless nights when dreams of losing Mia and his unborn child had him tossing and turning. "I don't think anyone really knows what they're doing before they're about to have kids." He starts but she jumps in before he can finish his train of thought.

"This is hardly the same as normal pre-baby jitters." Mia points out with a glare that lacks the ferocity of her previous stares. "Everything we're ever going to tell her about us is going to be a lie. She's not even going to have your last name." A tear falls to her cheek.

Brian thinks it's outrageously sweet that that is one of her concerns. And yeah, he's thought about it but thinking about getting to raise a daughter at all usually outweighs any other concerns. Brian reaches up and wipes the tear away from her skin. "We're starting over, people are allowed to start over Mia. The life we're going to have with her…that's not going to be a lie. You and me…we're the truest thing I know." More tears fall onto Mia's cheeks but there's a hint of a smile ghosting her lips. "Everything is going to be fine. We're still going to be a family, even if we have fake names and fake passports and our money comes from a bank heist…which was pretty epic…maybe we could tell her just that _one_ story." He smiles at her.

Mia rolls her eyes and shakes her head. "You just want her to think her dad is a badass."

Brian raises an eyebrow. "Her dad _is_ a badass, baby." He leans forward to kiss her softly. "And so is her mom, fake name or no."

Mia smiles. "That's pretty true." She puts her arms around his shoulders, pulling him close. "I'm sorry I've been crazy lately." She feathers her fingers through his hair.

"Baby hormones." Brian shrugs and quickly kisses her before she can object to his terminology. "I love you Mia and that's real."

"I love you too." She says softly, keeping him close to her. "But, seriously, let's not tell her about stealing cars or robbing banks or anything. I don't want her to get any ideas."

Brian smirks. "I can't make any promises."

* * *

><p>They name their daughter Connor Toretto Berry and when she holds the baby for the first time, Mia can't remember what she was so worried about before.<p> 


	2. March, 2019

**March, 2019 **

She honestly thinks about writing a letter. I mean, what sort of school assignment is this for an eight-year-old girl? A strongly but classily worded letter to the teacher, principal and school board is in order and if there's one thing that Mia Toretto-O'Connor-Berry is good at, it's making her opinion on things known.

"Mom?" The voice of her daughter breaks Mia from her mental letter writing and she turns to look at her little girl sitting at the kitchen table with her kitty embossed notebook spread out in front of her. "Earth to Mom." Connor Toretto Berry has her mother's deep black hair and coloring and her father's eyes and heart-melting smile. Mia's not biased or anything but she's pretty sure a more beautiful child has never existed.

"Oh, sorry honey." Mia puts down the dish towel and walks over to the kitchen table and sits across from her daughter. "What did you ask?" She knows full well what the question was but maybe she just misheard.

Connor scrunches up her face in concentration and looks back down at the neatly typed out sheet her teacher tucked in her homework folder that afternoon. The heading is _Getting to Know Your Parents_ and the next question (after the predictable one focusing on names and birthdays) is the one Connor reads out, "How did you and Dad meet?" Pleased with her out-loud reading ability, she looks up and at her mother expectantly.

Mia purses her lips and taps her fingers on the surface of the table. "Well…" She knows the other students in Connor's third grade class are asking their parents the very same question and getting honest answers about how oh I met your mother in the check-out line at Walgreens or your father and I actually were desperate singles set up by overbearing friends. She has to come up with a cutesy but believable lie that doesn't involve car racing, theft, the police, bank heists and bought identities. Mia knows she should have been prepared for this moment but here she is, caught completely off guard. Damn this third grade teacher.

Connor picks up her pencil and holds it expectantly over the paper, prepared to painstakingly write down her mother's answer in block lettering. When Mia doesn't elaborate, Connor sets her pencil down. "Did you forget Mommy?" She giggles, like the idea of an adult forgetting anything is just too funny to ignore.

Mia sighs and leans back in her chair. "No, of course not honey. That was one of the best days of my life." At least that part is true. "You see I was…a waitress and your dad was a regular customer of mine and he just came in every day and ordered the same thing and then we…went out on dates and got married and that's really the end." She nods, pleased with herself. It's not exactly a whirlwind romance but there's some element of truth to it.

Again, Connor picks up her pencil and starts to draw a line down the paper. She wrinkles her nose. "What's a waitress?" Mia smiles.

The patio door opens and Brian steps into the kitchen, covered in a thin sheen of sweat and a little bit of grease from the engine of the car that Mia hadn't been able to pry him away from all afternoon. Dom's in town and of course his arrival was accompanied by a car that Brian just had to check out and ever since his arrival, the garage has become littered with parts and beer bottles and testosterone.

He kisses Mia on the cheek before moving around to the other side of the table and leaning down to kiss the top of Connor's head. Connor squeals and moves away from him, nearly falling out of her chair. "Ew, Daddy no, you're gross." She giggles and waves him away from her.

Brian sighs and looks mournfully at Mia. "So much for having a tomboy." He remarks, a continual complaint of his. Connor isn't exactly a princess but she doesn't seem to have her parents' penchant for cars, despite Brian and Mia's best efforts. Brian and Mia have both spent their fair share of time out in the garage with her, poking around the engine and chassis but to no avail. They haven't mentioned this to Dom yet, for fear of having to explain to their daughter why Uncle Dom has disowned her.

Brian pulls out a chair and sits down next to Mia, putting his hand on her knee under the table. "What are you girls talking about?" He raises an eyebrow. "Doing homework?" He looks at Connor's neatly laid out notebook and pencil case with extra pencils and one of those hand-held sharpeners waiting nearby.

"Yes." Connor nods, looking at Brian. "I was asking Mom how you met her."

Brian smiles. "Oh, that's an easy one. When I still had my garage back in California, your mom came to me with a car problem she couldn't fix." Mia looks at him with wide eyes but he carries on, unawares. "When she kept coming back with little problems here and there, I started to get the feeling that she wasn't just interested in my mechanical services." He looks over at Mia and sees the look on her face and wonders where he put his foot in his mouth.

Before he can ask, Connor pipes up with, "Mommy told me that she was a waitress and you kept ordering the same stuff every day."

Mia and Brian look at each other, trying to make use of that husband-and-wife ESP that always seems to desert them in moments like this one. "Well, yeah." Brian says finally, looking back at Connor. "She was a waitress and I…was also a mechanic."

"Why don't you skip that one, Connor." Mia suggests, patting her daughter's hand. "Ask us our favorite colors."

* * *

><p>That night, Brian comes up to stand behind Mia as she washes the day's makeup off her face. There isn't much there, just a bit of eye shadow and blush because they both prefer her makeup to be minimal because Brian loves how she looks without it and she just hates going through applying it every morning. He kisses the side of her neck, slipping his arms around her waist and pulling her against his chest. "I should have gone with the waitress story." He mutters against her skin as she towel dries her face. "It's at least mostly true."<p>

Mia turns around to face him. "That's why I said it." She says, her tone slightly teasing. "Stupid school assignment."

"We should have just told her the truth and let her read that in front of the class." Brian remarks, grinning.

Mia rolls her eyes. "'Mommy and Daddy met when Daddy was an undercover cop trying to bust Mommy's brother for boosting cars and stealing electronics. Then they met again when Daddy helped get Mommy out of jail for being an accessory to my Uncle Dom's crimes." Mia mimics. "'Mommy found out she was pregnant with me when she and Daddy were on the run in-'"

Brian silences her with a kiss. "I get it." He assures her. "Not exactly the type of story you want to tell the kids." He kisses her again. "Though, isn't that whole Bonnie and Clyde thing popular these days? We're like outlaws."

Mia shakes her head, moving away from him to leave the bathroom. Brian follows after her dutifully, slipping into bed beside her. "Outlaws who gave it all up for love." She remarks, snuggling up to Brian's chest, sighing contentedly when her puts his arms around her frame.

"See, that's romantic." Brian points out. "Much more romantic than that waitressing story. I like how you made it seem like I was the one doing the chasing."

Mia sits up, giving him a pointed look. "Excuse me? You _were_ the one doing the chasing. No man willingly eats that many sandwiches."

Brian makes a thoughtful noise. "I seem to remember-"

"You remember wrong." Mia informs him frankly, laying back down beside him. Brian smiles into the darkness, kissing the top of her head. After a moment of silence, she adds, "And your story is completely crazy. I would never have to have someone else fix my car."

Brian chuckles, holding her tighter. "Leave it to you to critique a fake story."

* * *

><p>The following afternoon, Connor shuffles home from the bus stop to find her Uncle Dom in the driveway, bent over the engine of the car that he and her dad have been fussing over for days. When he hears her footsteps, Dom straightens up, moving away from the car to face his niece with a smile on his face. As soon as he sees the dejected, glum look on her features, his own brow furrows and he wonders if kicking some little eight-year-old punk's ass for messing with his niece is considered acceptable in this neighborhood. Back home, there wouldn't be any question about it.<p>

"Hi Uncle Dom." Connor says, barely looking over in his direction.

Dom kneels in front of her, putting his hands on her shoulders to keep her from moving into the house. "What's the matter, Connor?" He questions. "Someone been messing with you? I told your mom she needed to show you that left hook I taught her when she was your age."

Connor sighs. "She did show me." She assures him. "But no one's bothering me, I just got my first incomplete at school today." Dom knows the kid prides herself on her perfect grades, like having straight A's in third grade actually means something (not like anyone is going to tell her differently) so he knows this incomplete-thingy is a big deal to her.

Dom nods thoughtfully, getting to his feet and picking Connor up easily. Girl weighs about as much as a wrench (so it seems) so he doesn't exactly have to exert himself to lift her onto the trunk of the car. "Why'd you get an incomplete? Your teacher giving you a hard time?" He figures he'll have an easily time justifying beating up an adult.

"I had this assignment to ask Mom and Dad questions but there were so many they couldn't answer and they were just confused about what to say so I couldn't finish." Connor informs him. "They couldn't even tell me how they met!" She throws up her hands in defeat, like she can't believe this ridiculously easy question went unanswered.

Dom laughs, shaking his head. "That's an easy one. See, I used to have this business boosting cars and transporting stolen electronics and your dad was an undercover cop who was supposed to bring me in." He scoffs at the idea. "He fell for your mom and turned into a real puss…well he fell in love. Couple years after they first met, they hooked up again and I got myself arrested and they managed to bust me out before I even saw the inside of a jail. Feds are still after us but…we've put all that racing and stealing stuff behind us." He shrugs. "Mostly. _That's_ how your parents met."

Connor listens to this story silently, round eyes fixed on Dom's face. When he finishes, Connor nods once and slides off the trunk of the car and down onto the driveway. "Thanks Uncle Dom. I'm going to get a snack." She hurries into the house, leaving Dom smiling after her.

The kitchen door bangs shut behind her when she enters the kitchen. Her parents are both sitting in the living room; her dad is watching the Speed channel while her mom reads curled up next to him. Both of their heads turn in her direction when she enters the living room. "Hi honey." Mia smiles, marking her place. "How was school today?"

Connor looks at them thoughtfully. "Mom, Dad…what's…boosting cars?"


	3. September, 2027

**September, 2027**

"I think they're going to kiss. Yuck." Wrinkling his nose, Vincent Berry turns away from the window in the living room to face his parents. "That's just gross."

Brian goes to get to his feet but Mia reaches out and grabs his arm, pulling him back down without looking away from her book. "Brian, leave her alone." She chides. "And Vince, get away from the window."

Sighing, Vince slides off the ottoman that had been his perch, hopping onto the couch next to his dad. "Kissing is so gross." He mutters.

"Exactly." Brian nods his agreement. "Honey…we can't just let them stand in the driveway…kissing."

Mia looks over at her husband, raising an eyebrow. "She's a teenage girl, she just went on a date, give her some privacy." She remembers her own teenage years, when her brother and his various grease monkey friends used to spy on her bumbling high school dates.

Brian sighs, exasperated. "Mia…he's…I know his type, okay? And I've seen him around, he works at the garage in town and he…he's just not good enough for her."

Mia rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "So you don't like him because he works on cars after school?" Brian averts his eyes. "Besides, if you tell her she can't date him anymore that's just going to make him even more appealing."

Brian considers the wisdom in her words. There's silence in the living room for a beat. "Vince, go see what they're doing now."

Before Vince can move, the front door opens and Connor steps inside, dressed in a blouse and pair of jeans she and her mother picked out earlier in the week for this very occasion. Even though she's been seeing Mark Puckerman for a couple weeks, she still likes to dress to impress. As per her parent's request, her makeup is barely there and her top is far from revealing but Brian still thinks she looks far too grown up. He misses the days when she was Vince's age, a little third-grader asking him for help with her homework.

When Connor sees them all assembled there, she frowns, taking off her coat and hanging it on the hook beside the door. "Enjoy the show?" She mutters, rolling her eyes. Her mom, at least, looks innocent, which is more than she can say for her dad and little brother, whom she knows has been offered money to keep her dad informed on her daily activities.

"How was your date?" Brian asks casually, taking the book off Mia's lap and flipping through the pages like it's far more interesting than grilling his teenage daughter for information. Mia swats his shoulder and takes the book away from him.

Connor arches an eyebrow and she looks just like her mother. She has all the fire and attitude that her mother had (has) at her age and it's left behind a string of broken hearts and won arguments. "You mean the part of the date you couldn't spy on?" She looks at her brother pointedly and the kid looks like he's going to try and burrow into the couch cushions just to get away from that stare. Three pairs of eyes tell her that's _exactly_ what they're wondering. Connor sighs but it's a pleasant sound and it tells Mia, who has made that noise several times in her life (mostly about the man sitting next to her) everything she needs to know about how the night went. "It was great. We went to dinner and to the beach and just walked around looking at the stars. I really like him." She drops into the loveseat angled across from the couch and smiles to herself like she's forgotten she's gotten lost in this daydream in front of her parents and little brother.

Brian looks over at Mia with this hopeless look on his face like he's begging his wife to do something to stop their daughter from growing up and realizing that boys don't have cooties. Mia just smiles and Brian realizes that she's going to be no help because his girl is still a hopeless romantic, which he usually finds endearing but right now he just finds treacherous. "Well I…I want to meet this guy." Brian says, looking back at Connor. "You should invite him over for dinner."

Connor's eyes go wide and she sits up straight in her chair. "Mom!" She protests, looking panicked.

Mia shrugs. "I think that's a good idea, Connor. I think we should get to meet this guy you're so crazy about."

Connor's mouth opens and closes soundlessly like she's trying to find the words to express what a bad idea she thinks this whole thing is but she just can't because she can't think of anything worse than bringing her boyfriend to meet her parents and annoying little brother. So instead she just gets to her feet and storms into her room, slamming the door shut behind her and Mia is just that she's going to call up either Mark or some of her girlfriends and complain about how horrible her parents are. But she can't argue with Brian's suggestion because even though she's much better at hiding her curiosity, she is still definitely very curious about this Mark Puckerman kid and what his intentions are with her daughter. She might be a middle-aged mom of two but she knows that her intimidation tactics can definitely still rival Brian's and she just needs to get a feel for what type of kid her daughter is dating.

Brian looks over at Mia. "This should be interesting." He wiggles his eyebrows with a smile.

Mia just rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "The goal is to have our daughter still talking to us by the time dinner is over." She remarks.

"Yeah but…it's been a long time since I've gotten to interrogate someone." Brian points out. "It'll be nice to be back in action."

"And you wonder why she doesn't want us to meet him."

* * *

><p>After a few more days of prodding, Connor finally agreed to invite Mark over for dinner, though it is clear even in the minutes prior to his arrival that she is still not very jazzed about the idea. "Can Vince just stay in his room?" She questions as she paces around the kitchen. She's supposed to be helping Mia cook the potatoes and put together the salad but she's too anxious to sit still and her mother doesn't mind. "And maybe Dad…maybe just you could meet him. You're a lot more normal than they are."<p>

Mia's glad there's one person who sees that. "I've made your father promise to behave. I told Vince he'd better not talk if he has any hope of continuing to help me with the engine in the garage." She'd promised to withhold something from Brian too, but her daughter doesn't need to know that.

Connor high-fives her and smiles. "Way to go Mom." The smile disappears quickly however and she says, "But, you know, you don't have to, like, show Mark the engine or anything. Or talk about the cars or stuff like that because I know how you can get when the cars get brought up."

Mia wrinkles her nose, turning back to the salad bowl on the counter. "I have no idea what you're talking about." She mutters.

The door bell rings and Connor goes on high alert, looking around nervously like she can't remember what she's supposed to do next. Mia glances over her shoulder. "Why don't you answer the door." She prompts and Connor scampers off.

Even though Brian and Vince have been out back, working on grilling the steak and chicken and having what Brian calls their 'Man Time' (as though fire and meat automatically equals masculinity), they both come into the kitchen the second Connor brings Mark back to meet Mia. Mia can see how nervous Mark is to be meeting Brian and it makes him somehow more endearing to her, how he's just a normal guy scared shitless of meeting his girlfriend's father.

"Nice to meet you, sir." Mark stutters as he shakes Brian's hand. Brian makes a noncommittal noise by way of a greeting and pretends not to understand Mia's meaning when she bumps his shoulder with hers. Mark just focuses on Vince instead, seemingly discouraged when the boy keeps his lips tightly closed, casting a fearful sidelong glance at his mother.

"So," Brian pops the top off a beer as he leans against the kitchen counter, apparently having lost interest in grilling/Man Time, "why don't you tell me a little bit about yourself, Mark." It's not exactly a request.

Mark shifts his weight, uncomfortable. "Well, I…Connor and I have a few classes together at school and we're on newspaper staff together." He glances over at Connor, as though hoping for her support. "I work down at the garage off Belle Street a couple days a week, just fixing up some cars, changing oil, that kind of thing."

Again, Brian makes a noise of indiscernible meaning. "You plan on making a living down at the garage? Doing something with cars?" He raises an eyebrow.

"Well…probably not, I figure I'll go to college for something a little more practical." Mark seems to forget himself and smiles slightly. "But racing cars would be cool."

Vince perks up and Mia can tell that he wants to weigh in on exactly how cool he thinks racing (read: drag racing, which is something is Uncle Dom has introduced him to recently) is but is still too afraid of his mother's warning to even open his mouth. Mia figures she's done something right if her threats carry that much weight, though clearly Brian has decided to go for the Bad Cop routine after all.

And she can tell he's just found his opening. "Racing." He repeats, nodding slowly as though considering what Mark just said. "You race a lot of cars?" He raises an eyebrow, waiting expectantly for an answer.

Mark can tell that he's backed himself into a corner now. He looks down at the floor, as though the answer might be somewhere there on the tile. "I…I've done a little racing with a few friends of mine. Only once or twice." He adds quickly, looking back up at Brian.

Mia looks over at her husband and though she knows he can feel her eyes on him, he doesn't acknowledge her. "Drag racing is illegal." Brian points out and Mark visibly swallows. "Not to mention dangerous. You take my daughter to those races?"

Connor starts to make a noise of argument as Mark sputters for an answer but Mia interrupts before either of them have a chance to speak. "Can I talk to you outside, honey?" She grabs his elbow and pulls him out past the patio and onto the sand that stretches endless white behind their house. She knows that her children are notorious eavesdroppers so she wants to be far enough away from the house to avoid their big ears.

Mia puts her hands on her hips and looks at the man she decided to marry nearly two decades ago. Sometimes (like right now) she questions her judgment. "What are you doing?" Brian gives her that innocent look that he's perfected over the past few years but she's not buying it. "You can't just stand in there and intimidate him."

"Why not?" Brian protests. "Isn't that my fatherly duty? I didn't even use that _I have a shotgun_ line." Though, come to think of it, maybe he should throw that in sometime.

Mia shakes her head. "Well, maybe because _you_ used to drag race and do a whole lot more than that. And _you_ used to work on cars, in fact, you _love_ working on cars and you used to work at a garage and you-"

Brian interrupts her by holding up a hand. "All right, I get it. But I know what kind of guy I was at that age, doing all those things and I just…I don't want Connor around people like that."

Mia rolls her eyes, giving him a slight smile. "Brian, you were a good guy, you just got mixed up in some bad stuff. Mark doesn't seem like that kind of kid." She steps closer to him, slipping her arms around his shoulders. "What would you have done if someone told you that you weren't good enough for me?" Of course, Dom did say those words many, many times throughout the course of their admittedly rocky relationship but that's really neither here nor there.

"I would have agreed." Brian answers truthfully, his hands resting on her waist. "But I wouldn't have listened."

"Exactly." It makes her almost absurdly happy to hear those words, even now, so many years later. "So why don't you just try to get to know Mark and let Connor be happy and make her own mistakes?" She arches an eyebrow.

Brian sighs but Mia can tell that he knows he's about to lose this argument. "But I'm her dad, I'm supposed to intimidate her boyfriends."

"I think you've intimidated him enough." Mia assures him, kissing him softly. "He's terrified of you." She's placating him but he doesn't mind, especially when she kisses him again.

"I was pretty scary, wasn't I?" Brian questions, smiling proudly before kissing her again. "I've still got it, huh?"

Instead of answering, Mia just kisses him again.

"I think they're going to kiss. Yep, yuck, they're kissing." Vince remarks from his vantage point at the window. "Why do they always do that." He pauses. "Ew, yuck, more kissing."

"I think it's nice." Mark remarks from his spot several feet behind where Vince is standing. He's sitting at the kitchen table with Connor in his lap, much more relaxed now that Brian is out of the room. "Even if your dad is really scary."

Connor rolls her eyes, shaking her head. "He's really not that bad, once you get to know him. My mom's really the one to watch out for." Mark looks nervous all over again.

Vince turns away from the window. "Just wait until you meet our Uncle Dom. He used to beat my dad up." He says this almost proudly, as though he's confused about who's side he's supposed to be on.

Mark looks at Connor. "He's not like…coming over later or anything is he?" He questions, not bothering to hide his anxiety.

Connor shakes her head and giggles, leaning forward to kiss him. The screen door slides open and Brian clears his throat loudly; Mark practically dumps Connor onto the ground, desperate to put as much space between them as possible. Brian is frowning and Mark wonders if it would be rude to suddenly remember some pressing appointment and go running out of the house. "Look, buddy, I've got a shotgun and I know-"

Mia gives him a playful shove, shaking her head. "Just go get the steaks." She shoos him back out the door.

Later, after dinner when Mark is helping Mia bring dishes to the sink, she waits until they're out of earshot of Connor and Brian to lean close to him and say, "Look, you seem like a great kid and all but if you hurt my daughter, I swear that if they ever find your body it will only be pieces of it. Okay?" She smiles at him and goes about clearing the table as though the whole exchange never happened.

Mark suddenly answers what Connor meant about her mom being the one watch out for.


End file.
